This epic 14-day race, known as the west coast's wildest challenge, will take us over 580 nautical miles to sail around Vancouver Island.

Adventure abounds as we sail away from city life and into the real west coast wilderness. Conditions are challenging the whole way around as we'll face some of the strongest tidal currents in the world, days of transiting narrow passes, variable winds and the wild waves of the open Pacific ocean.

The race is split into 9 legs, allowing race crews the opportunity to visit many different communities on BC's beautiful Vancouver Island. The race starts in Nanaimo on June 10th, with festivities the night before that can't be missed! We race counter clockwise around the island, stopping every night in different towns on the east coast, but racing 2-3 days straight during the legs on the west coast. We finish in Nanaimo on June 24th, 2017.

The VanIsle 360 is not to be entered lightly. It is a major time commitment not only for the race itself but for the qualifying events earlier in the year. It is a test of each crew member's sailing skills and stamina, and most importantly of our teamwork overall.

It is truly the adventure of a lifetime

Sea to Sky Sailing Crew

We will be taking a team of 7 sailors around Vancouver Island in June 2017, supported by a dedicated shore crew the entire way. Our professional skipper and experienced watch captain will coach a team of 3 Core Crew and 2 Student Crew safely around the island, honing our teamwork, sailing skills and thirst for adventure along the way. Core Crew are on board for the duration of the race, while Student Crew are able to join for select Stages, each lasting 3-5 days.

Student Crew

Student Crew are able to join the Sea to Sky Sailing campaign for any of the 4 stages of the trip around Vancouver Island. These positions are open to ages 19+. The deadline to commit to a Student Crew position is March 1, 2017 with full payment due at registration. See details below on requirements, the available stages, and registration information.

Stage 1Vancouver to Campbell River

June 9-11. Set sail right from Vancouver, delivering the boat to the start line (and starting party!) in Nanaimo. We then launch into 3 days of intense racing heading north up the Georgia Strait towards Campbell River and the end of Stage 1. $1,075

Stage 2Campbell River to Port Hardy

June 11-15. Join the crew in Campbell River, ready to brave the infamous tides of Seymour Narrows, Discovery Passage and Johnstone Strait as we fight our way to the top end of the island. Includes a layday to explore beautiful Telegraph Cove along the way! $1,145

Stage 3Port Hardy to Ucluelet

June 15-20. Welcome to the Outside! This Stage sees us stretch our legs around Cape Scott at the northern tip of Vancouver Island and experience sailing on the vast open Pacific as we race towards Ucluelet. Includes a stopover in Winter Harbour between legs of the race. $1,475

Stage 4Ucluelet to Nanaimo

June 20-24. This is the home stretch, combining our last glimpse of the open ocean before entering the challengin waters of the Juan de Fuca Strait, stopping in Victoria, and then weaving through the Gulf Islands on our way to the finish in Nanaimo. $1,175

Core Crew

Core Crew commit to the entire 14-day race, delivering the boat to and from Nanaimo before and after the race, as well as at least one Qualifying Event (see section at bottom of this page). Core Crew positions are available by application only, with priority given to Sea to Sky Sailing students.

Included in Registration

You will receive hands-on training from our experienced skipper/instructor and watch captain throughout the race. You will be a valuable part of an enthusiastic team where the primary goal is to have safe, fantastic sailing experiences each and every day.

You also get to live on a boat for the duration of your crew commitment! You can expect a lot of fun and new experiences with a rustic level of comfort. Showers are limited to some of the overnight stops during the race. We will be living in close quarters with each other. Our wonderful shore crew will be supplying us with groceries and other crucial support, and we work as a team to prepare all our meals and keep the boat ship shape throughout the race.

Registration includes all food and beverages on board (you are responsible for your own food and drink costs on shore since these are optional). Also included: accommodation on board, race fees, fuel, shore support, and all other costs associated with the race. You are responsible for your own transportation to and from the boat, your own travel insurance, personal items including suitable foul weather gear, etc.

Qualifying Events

Participation in any of the 2017 Racing Events will be excellent training for the VanIsle 360, however there are two in particular that are designated as official Qualifying Events:

Patos Island: April 1 & 2, 2017

Southern Straits: April 14 & 15, 2017

+1 604-283-5343

ahoy@seatoskysailing.com

WEST VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA

Latest on Instagram

And now for something completely different... a week of private lessons on a brand new #jeanneau out of Sooke! Our #competentcrew students from last year are all grown up with their first boat 😊⛵️⚓️😎
#soshiny #furlallthethings #learntosail #notnormalseatoskystyle #pirateundercover